Who likes to clean? Wash dishes, clothes or sort things out? Maybe some like it, but probably like most people, you do not. The truth is that many times we rather not clean or we come up with any type of excuse to not do it. But if we do not clean, we accumulate dust or we may even find insects we do not like, like spiders, igh… but when we start cleaning, we can classify what items we need, what are unnecessary and what we can keep. Just like cleaning at home, we must also get rid of things that become hindrances to our spirit, our soul, our body, our mind, and our heart.
Let us examine the following verse:
2 Timothy 2:21-22 New King James Version (NKJV)
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
The Word of God says we need to cleanse ourselves from impurities and those feelings, thoughts, emotions that are not from God, consequently we will be useful for our Lord. For if we have not cleansed ourselves from those things that displease Him, if we do not sanctify ourselves, we will not walk in the purpose and calling for which He has chosen us. Apostle Paul goes further as to say that those that are sanctified are prepared for the tasks that our Master has chosen but not those who are not (the RVC Spanish translation, indicates that these people will be willing to do the tasks, hence we implicitly recognize those who will be unwilling to the work of the Lord are not sanctified). Likewise, it states we will have occasions where we need to flee youthful desires and sometimes we may commit the error to think we are stronger than the temptation and we can resist it. However, like I told someone I highly esteem, it is not the same thing to have a temptation far away than to have it a few millimeters away from you, in these situations our character plays a major role in overcoming obstacles. When we flee temptation and follow the attributes and characteristics of God, such as justice, faith, love and peace, we can have a pure heart to call our Heavenly Father. And not only that, but we can delight ourselves in His presence.
Let us meditate in the following verse:
Matthew 5:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
The previous verse, states the word “Blessed,” according to Strong’s Concordance, Blessed in Hebrew means esher which implies “happiness, blessedness[i].” This is to say that God grants us happiness and blessings, He provides joy to those who have a clean heart, for not only can we have His blessing but we can enter His presence with a plea He will listen to and answer. The moment we enter His presence with a pure heart, we have His blessing and eternal pleasures. His word says:
Psalm 16:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 You make known to me the path of life;
This is to say that the moment we enter the presence of our Lord, not only does He remove any sadness, bitterness, worry, anxiety, pain, perturbation, but we are filled with His character, His Spirit. In the presence of the Lord we encounter the path to a life of plenitude and we encounter freedom. “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17, NLT). Furthermore, those who have a clean heart and enter the presence of our Lord, automatically encounter the Spirit of the Lord, hence finding freedom. Consequently, anything that has been oppressing us in one way or another has to leave and flee, for in the presence of God all chains and yokes are broken, for God has granted us liberty.
Likewise, when we ask our Creator to cleanse us we will find new strength in our Lord. The psalmist David says:
Psalm 51:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
In the previous verse we can determine the following: first, the psalmist acknowledges who is his Creator for he is asking Him to create something new, second, he recognizes the Lord as His God, hence we can see his humility when he seeks Him, third he asks God to change his spirit for he knows in his humanity he cannot but GOD can, and fourth, he requests Him to do something over for the prefix re- means again, therefore he is asking a new steadfast spirit. Now, let us examine what steadfast means, steadfast means: “firm in belief, determination, or adherence,[ii]” thus he recognizes that the Only One that can grant him determination to overcome any type of tribulation, trial or obstacle is Yahweh. The psalmist David came with such humility to recognize that only God could change what he could not, in other words, God could give Him new strength to keep going whenever he thought he could no longer handle situations by himself.
Therefore dear readers, let us remember that we need to cleanse ourselves from anything that does not come from our Lord and that in sanctity we can see our Lord’s face. Remembering that we can only enter His presence with a pure heart and He will hear us strive for holiness and a renewed spirit, for only with a pure heart we obtain sanctity and without holiness no one will see God and therefore we would not have access to eternal life.
Hebrews 12:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.
And if you have not accepted our Lord Jesus in your heart, or you want to reconcile your relationship with Him, I urge you to do it today and pray the following prayer out loud:
“Lord Jesus, I ask you for forgiveness of my sins, for my sins separate me from you. I recognize you as my only, sufficient and truthful Saviour. I break every covenant with the world, with the flesh and with the enemy. I give you thanks for the sacrifice in the cross. I know if I were to die today, I will be in your arms. Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer today, write to me at kltapiahernandez@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you. And if this edified you, please share it with someone else. We are a family in Christ and we are here to help each other out. May God bless you.
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